Pierre and Marie Curie University

The Pierre and Marie Curie University (UPMC) was France's largest medical and scientific institution. Established in 1971 following the break-up of the old University of Paris, its roots could be traced back further, to 1109 and the Abbey of St Victor.

The modern-day UPMC comprises 120 research units across 33 separate sites. It has a student body totaling 30,000, which includes 3,500 doctoral students, who can choose from subjects organised across seven faculties, including chemistry, engineering, mathematics, medicine, physics, life science, earth and environmental sciences, and biodiversity.

Named after two of its most notable alumni, UPMC boasted associations with 17 Nobel Laureates in total. As well as Pierre and Marie Curie, other Nobel prize winners with a UPMC connection included Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, for her work on discovering the HIV virus, Jean-Baptiste Perrin for his work on the atom, and Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, an expert in quantum physics.

UPMC was an institution with a global standing. Around 20 per cent of its 34,000 students are international and the university was an active member of three of the five European innovation networks: Climate KIC, the EIT ICT Labs, and EIT Health.

It also promoted study abroad programmes and offered four international bachelor’s degrees, 16 international master’s, and four international doctorates in partnership with universities worldwide.

The university is home to 120 laboratories and is supported by 3,750 researchers and professors. Its publications numbered around 8,500 annually and one of its central aims was to respond to current issues facing 21st century societies.

It was located in the heart of Paris, and was an exciting student destination. The university prided itself on providing students with manageable timetables, giving them time to participate in clubs, sports and all the cultural attractions the city has to offer. 

Until 2018, Pierre and Marie Curie University was ranked as a separate institution in the THE World University Rankings. Since the 2019 World University Rankings, Sorbonne University (which is a merger of Pierre and Marie Curie University and Paris-Sorbonne University 4) has been ranked.